I learned an important lesson today.

No, it wasn’t “go to sleep at a normal hour.” That will be a lesson for another day, unfortunately.

But I did learn how to conserve my energy when debating. Just one step at a time.

See, I got a couple people’s attention on Twitter when I criticised somebody for retweeting something with a homophobic and sexist slur in it. I was lucky that they were respectful enough and simply started debating me (instead of insulting me). I responded to some, but selectively. Here are examples of what I responded to:

“But I’m not homophobic! I love gay people and women!”

“You’re being a bit touchy. You shouldn’t let things get under your skin.”

Things I didn’t reply to:

“This really pissed me off. Bitch is just a word, who cares.”

“Bitch you should have to repeat yourself bitch.” (Referring to the fact that I had to repeat myself on a couple occasions)

Note the vitriolic undertones in the second lot. It may seem like a no-brainer, but I usually bite when I see anger thrown at me. This time I decided not to respond, and it worked out well. The three who responded to me less angrily (I won’t say politely, because one of them did call me “illiterate”) all left the argument in a neutral way. “Good luck with your endevours,” “I respectfully agree to disagree,” and “It was nice knowing you. Take care.”

Now, this is not to say that other people can’t get into more anger-laced disagreements, or that you don’t have the right to stand up against oppression in an aggressive manor. It’s just that I cannot handle that kind of confrontation. It burns me out, and then I can’t work to contribute to society the way I hope to.

So I really hope that this is the beginning of a less angst-ridden path for me, on the subject of debating and disagreeing.

***If you would like to contribute towards preventing further angst, please read my comments policy before commenting.***

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2 Responses to “I learned an important lesson today.”

You are wrong on so many levels. Debate me if you wish but consider my words first. I am not very educated but grew up in a family that has a long history of revolutionaries, including the American revolution for individualism and liberty and some for collectivism with over 120yrs of revolutionaries just in the socialist party. My GG grandfather took my grandfather at age 15 to Vienna in 1909, this was the broken glass recruitments. Leon Trotsky was the main orator and teacher. Members of my family worked directly under Trotsky and the chair of the American cartel for more then 100yrs. Socialism is the teaching of propaganda to motivate the masses, to capture the will of the people. When a person says socialism is anti-capitalist they are repeating a lie used for propaganda and the melody of the piper of Hamlin. Trotsky was not free market but was pro capitalism. Don’t waist your time quoting his or other socialist like Karl Marx writings of propaganda I know it well.. Socialism is the path to dominating the will of the people. You should understand those that follow the melody are nothing more then pons in the game of life to fight the enemies of the socialist movement. The families with blood lines or those who have proven thru deed are in the inner core. The enemy is all counterrevolutionaries. Socialism has been alive and a core movement starting from a single document created around 1050, it pointed to Roman history, Nero and the documents and writings of Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle. The core movement owns most world capital and that will never change because the system was created that way. The core believes the evolution is to create 3 classes in the end, the leadership, the working class and the enforcement class. In the end when the revolution is complete any that fight the system (counter revolutionaries) will be removed. Don’t misunderstand my point. I do not stand for this path but there is nothing any one can do to stop it. Obama is not the head just another poster boy. Today is July 4th, independence day for true liberty under individualism. Soon that will change and the collective movement will end freedom.